Hidden Leaf
by Staryin
Summary: Follow Montaro and Yukimura and a plethora of other original characters as their lives unfold in a series of thrills, chills, and spills, most of which take place in the lovely Hidden Leaf Village. **We are in no way affiliated with Kishi or Naruto**
1. Introduction: Yukimura

Author's note: This is a two author story, just so all you happy readers don't get lost in the changing writing styles. It'll be a trade off for every other chapter. I'll be starting it off by introducing my character into the story, then there's a separate introduction for my co-writer's character, and we'll follow this format from beginning to end.

Introduction - Yukimura Maeda

As the sun began its ascension over the Fire Country, and over the tall, empowering walls of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it seemed as if everyone was getting up just a little bit earlier today. It was a peaceful, quiet time for the Konohagakure - as the last major activity had happened four years prior: the Uchiha clan massacre. Ever since, however, the village has remained tranquil and with minimal, if any, interference from outside villages. Within the walls of Konoha, more specifically, beneath the western-most wall, lay a single, tall apartment like construction. It was a simple, plain khaki color, with a much more majestic style of dark green trim. Within this building, lived the former Prodigy of the Maeda clan, Yukimura Maeda. The young boy, roughly twelve years of age and still a student at the ninja academy, tossed and turned on his bed, completely unaware of the ringing alarm clock on the nearby nightstand.

With a long, well overstressed groan, the boy lifted his left hand from under the sheets, and quickly batted the clock over - it landed with an anticlimactic "thud" but the alarm stopped ringing, at least. The aspiring shinobi arose from his bed like he was the living dead; revealing the characteristics of his features. His thick, black hair was incredibly messy and his resembling black eyes were still attempting to get used to the new morning. His nonsensical gaze began to effigiate to the rays of sunlight that managed to make their way through his pitch black curtains. Another groan fell out of the boy's mouth just as he managed to swing both feet out of bed, and slip into the nearby bathroom.

Minutes upon minutes passed - all of which were courtly counted off by the repetitious, yet soothing melodies of the birds outside. It was soon after these minutes passed, that Yukimura quickly opened the bathroom door, a towel around his waist, and a plethora of steam, desperately trying to escape the room he had just occupied, followed right behind him. Again, minutes passed, in which the Maeda boy began the daily ritual of dressing himself. His attire was a very simple approach of layering - starting off with a traditional ninja fishnet style undershirt, the sleeves of which stopped just before the bend of the elbow. On top of his undershirt, Yukimura wore a simplistic looking gray V-neck shirt - this shirt's sleeves stopped around his bicep area, leaving plenty of his undershirt visible around the arms. If one were so observant, one could take note of the strange, gray-colored patterns that seemed to cover the entire shirt - the color itself, so resembling the original fabric however, made it incredibly hard to notice, a-similar to an illusion. The hemline of the bottom of the shirt just barely touched over a pair of light gray shorts, which, aside from their normal series of pockets, also contained special placements for Yukimura's shuriken holster, as well as his satchel. The shorts themselves stopped just above the knee, and, just at the top of his calf were traditional shinobi shin-guards, which Yukimura had taken the time to tape over - and beneath his taped shin-guards would go his gray sandals.

After his quick confrontation with his closet, and the battle with his own clothes, Yukimura quickly hopped the banister of his staircase to the first floor of his house. He rushed through making his breakfast, and only went faster as he partook in the feast - a bowl of cereal. Finished with his delectable meal, and after tossing bowl into the water-filled sink, Yukimura decided now would be a proper time to leave. Granted, he would probably end up late due to his understandable disdain for the early morning. Just before opening the front door, Yukimura shook his black hair dry, allowing water droplets to accent the wooden frame of the doorway before he opened it. His hair wasn't particularly long, but neither was it short; the length, more often than not, reached his cheekbones and was almost always unkempt. A proper description of the hair would be as follows: a simple layering technique, resulting in the hair being slightly longer in the back than the front, and ultimately ending in a plethora of hair that would normally cover the boy's eyes. Yukimura was careful to hand-brush the hair onto either side, but it always seemed to drift towards the right, with a single piece of hair falling in between his eyes.

It was by this time - just as soon as he had stepped through the front door - that Yukimura realized that his roommate was either still asleep, or hadn't even come back from the woods last night.

"Yo, man, you in there?!" Yukimura basically shouted as he closed the door behind him. Not receiving an answer, he dismissed the situation as a whole and began his journey to the academy. It was an oddity for most of the people of Konoha to not lock their doors, but rarely did anyone ever want to visit two kids without families. Such a turn of phrase spurned out a scowl from the young shinobi, and his thoughts instantly refrained themselves from striking such a remembrance, fearing such a gaze.

The people of Konoha as a whole were mostly kind - mostly. There always seemed to be someone causing trouble somewhere, and today, it just happened to be Naruto Uzumaki. His childish attempts on individuality had struck a high note today. The idiot had defaced the monument to the Hokages - the greatest shinobi the Leaf Village has ever bore within its infrastructure - and even more so, he was proud of himself for doing so. Yukimura shook his head over such a blatant act of stupidity, and it was all he could do to restrain himself the pleasure of kicking the kid's ass - another time. It wasn't so much the fact that Naruto had defaced the monument, oh no, certainly not. While Yukimura had all the respect he could for the dead, especially the former - and current - Hokages, he honestly couldn't care any less about the condition in which the monument happened to be in. It was the simple fact that when Iruka, the Chuunin instructor for the class that Naruto - and Yukimura himself - attended, found out about Naruto's idiotic prank, no doubt the whole class would have to suffer through it. A giant waste of time.

Yukimura decided to slow down his walking speed just a tad. Although he was late getting up, Naruto's natural born stupidity had granted Yukimura a few more quiet minutes to himself, which was always something to be enjoyed. Even with his slow walking speed, the ninja academy was such a short distance away from his own house, that it barely even made a difference.

"What the hell are you doing during class time?!! Get down here you moron!!" Iruka-sensei's voice rang like a gong through the confines of Konoha. Yukimura glanced behind him at the defaced monument - he couldn't help but crack a smile at Naruto's obvious panic. With another shake of his head, Yukimura entered the academy, technically late, but thanks to Naruto, still early.


	2. Introduction: Montaro

Introduction: Montaro

The rising sun bathed the village hidden in the leaves, Konohagakure, in a pale, early morning light. Its gentle rays urging all of the people therein to awake and go about their daily business. One citizen living beyond those walls quickly answered the sun's call. The bird was the most brilliant color of red and rose with the sun as it stretched its wings. It took a moment to sound its beautiful song before it jumped from its perch and embraced the crisp air of the morning. The bird flew from the village with joyous enthusiasm and into the lush woods that bordered it. It weaved in and out of the trees, responding to the songs of its companions before it perched itself on a limb of a tree that stood just on the edge of a clearing.

The bird slowly hopped from the limb to another, singing loudly and proudly with each movement. Its song suddenly stopped when a rock flew less than an inch from its brilliant wings. "Damn birds! Waking me up!" A disgruntled and tired voice shouted. The bird, with a disapproving squawk, flew away, leaving gravity to take its course. The rock was pulled back to the earth with greater speed than it was thrown and, with an anti-climatic crack, slammed into the head of its handle. With a loud curse, the young boy jumped from his spot against the tree, the pain and surprise eradicating any weariness he may have felt. Even so he took a moment to rub his eyes, yawn, and stretch before he rubbed his in a vain attempt to alleviate the pain he felt.

The pale morning sun quickly devoured what shade the tree provided and illuminated his features. The boy was young, roughly twelve years of age. His hair was fairly long, nearing chin-length, and a shining shade of boyish silver. His eyes were a dark shade of purple, nearly black with violet accents. His face retained the looks that youth and constant smiling brought him, his jaw was strong, his teeth were white, and his nose was perfectly proportionate to his face. He was wearing a dark green muscle shirt that displayed his muscled, toned, arms and chest perfectly. Under that he wore dark blue pants with a kunai holster strapped to his left thigh, with dark blue sandals that most of the shinobi of Konohagakure wore.

The young shinobi lazily looked around the clearing, trying to remember what time it was or even what day it was for that matter. He had a distant feeling that there was something he needed to do but the combination of tiredness and head pain he felt distracted him. He had spent his entire night, like most of his nights, training out in the woods. The trees and grass around the clearing promptly displayed the scars from this training. This young shinobi was Montaro and he was determined to succeed as a shinobi despite the fact that he was still a student in the academy. And then it hit him, he was supposed to be in the academy. With panicked recognition, Montaro grabbed the coat that rested beside him and quickly scaled the tree.

Without slowing his pace, he pulled the jacket on and started jumping from tree to tree. The coat was a light gray with a soft, white padding, the hemming, cuffs, and collar all turned to display the material. The coat was specially weighted so that every movement served to test, and inevitably strengthen, Montaro. The shinobi continued his frantic pace through the trees until they broke off to make way for a river. He quickly jumped down by the river and grabbed a drink with cupped hands. After quenching his thirst he splashed his face and pushed his wet hands through his hair. He pulled all of his back into a tail except for two long strands that served to frame his face and reached his jaw. He held his hair back as he reached for a band in his pocket and then folded the tail against his head and used the band to hold it like that.

Montaro took a second to admire his handiwork in his reflection on the river. He adjusted the small bob he had made on the back of his head and moved the strands he had left over his face ever so slightly. "Looking good." He remarked before pulling out a roll of white tape from his coat pocket. He jumped over the short river as he rolled back his coat's sleeves and began wrapping his forearms in tape. He normally didn't wake up this late, only on occasions where he passed out training. He had his own place in the village where he lived with his friend and fellow shinobi. Normally his friend woke up nice and early and woke him up in the process. Then the two would amuse each other with a quick race to the academy. Montaro wondered if his friend had arrived yet and vowed to win if he hadn't.

Montaro didn't slow his pace as the village he had known for his entire life came into view. Though he did cast the Hokage monument a curious glance as he passed it by. The great stone faces of the current and former leaders of their village were covered in graffiti. Montaro sighed as he heard the yelling of his teacher, Iruka-sensei, and the considerably more whiny and loud voice of Naruto Uzumaki, his fellow student and the only one people considered stupider than him. The shinobi passed the two by and continued toward the academy, silently celebrating. With Naruto holding up his sensei like the idiot he was Montaro had a chance to arrive on time anyway. He smiled as the building came into view and he saw his friend slowly opening the door.

"I win!" Montaro shouted as he darted into the crack of his door just an instant before his friend could step in. The young shinobi laughed to himself before following his silver-haired friend into the academy.


	3. Chapter 1: The Genin Exams

Chapter 1: The Genin Exams

The everlasting temptation to smack Montaro on the back of his head suddenly filled every crease of Yukimura's body. Determined otherwise, all he could do was flash a smile at his friend. Besides, showing up at the last minute was commonplace with the two of them, and making a competition out of just about every insignificant activity the two participated in was even more common. From dish washing to eating, from training to sleeping, and even racing about the outer walls of Konoha - all of these acts were like games to the two academy students. Yet, despite their seemingly eternal rivalry, the two had always been the best of friends - brothers even - ever since Yukimura's first day at the academy, he and Montaro seemed to get along perfectly. Well, as perfect as two extremely competitive kids could get along, that is. Regardless of Yukimura's overall soreness that had risen from his undeniable loss to Montaro, he couldn't help but smile - it was simply another day of the two's antics.

"Didn't I tell you last night I'd get here first? I swore I told you," Montaro joked as the two followed the black and gray checkered floor in front of them. The walls of the academy building were colored with specific lines to show where each class was specifically located. They were following the blue line, to Iruka-sensei's class.

"Yeah, yeah you did," Yukimura answered his friend with a short breathed laugh, only garnishing Montaro's mood. The two students continued to banter and taunt one another all the way to the classroom; even in the classroom, the two continued to verbally antagonize each other with silly taunts and high stakes bets that probably wouldn't even happen. Most of the students were used to it by now, but, of course, they didn't particularly enjoy it.

The classroom itself was basically one large square with paste white walls, on top of which happened to be littered with posters and notes that contained the, "Rules of the Shinobi" and et cetera. In the far back, where Iruka-sensei, most other teachers, as well as guest speakers and the like, all stood when giving lessons, was an large, rectangular blackboard. It had been erased clean for today - an oddity, since Iruka-sensei always had the day's lesson written on it. The classroom's desks and seats had been carefully built into the foundation, and separated by two sets of stairs that, as a whole, split the desks into groups of three. As per their tradition, both Yukimura and Montaro sat on the far right side of the room, more so towards the back, but not quite on the far back row.

Amidst the observations being made, Iruka-sensei slammed open the door to the classroom, with Naruto in tow underneath his left arm. Naruto was obviously displeased and annoyed with such treatment, and also because his hands had behind his back, not failing to mention that his arms were tied in place as well. A smile befell both Montaro and Yukimura's mouths as they saw the state that their orange-garbed classmate happened to be in. They weren't the only ones - in fact, a good number of the class had started laughing the second Iruka and Naruto walked into the room. Those students had to stifle their mocking laughter as fast as they could, however. Especially when they all took notice of the look on their teacher's face - he was obviously not in a good mood.

Of course, most of the class knew the reason why. Iruka had always been the least tolerant of Naruto's shenanigans; even the smallest prank was enough to set the young Chuunin off, and, unfortunately for the students, he always managed to give them all extra work to do as punishment for Naruto's schemes. Iruka suddenly dropped Naruto onto the ground, then stood there with his arms crossed, just glaring at the blond haired prankster. Naruto shifted his position awkwardly, resembling a turtle that was on its back as he attempted to sit himself up. When he finally managed to get himself upright, and after letting out a frustrated sigh, it seemed like Iruka-sensei was ready to explode.

"Tomorrow is the shinobi academy's graduation exam and you've failed it the last two times!!" Iruka's voice echoed off the four walls of the classroom, and considering the sheer volume of his voice, it probably reached throughout the whole building. "This isn't the time to be causing trouble!! Idiot!" The whole time Iruka was yelling, the class struggled to not laugh out loud at Naruto's misfortune. It was pleasurable to see that failure of a ninja get what he deserved - but their glee was soon to fall.

"Whatever. . ." Naruto mumbled, his words were inaudible to most of the class, but given the state that Iruka was in, they were crystal clear in his ears. The Chuunin's facial expression only twisted into more anger at the sound of Naruto's attitude.

"Time for a transformation jutsu test! Everyone line up and transform perfectly into me!" Iruka shouted at the class, stressing the word perfectly as if their entire lives depended on whether or not they could perform the jutsu successfully.

While Yukimura just shook his head over such a trivial and nonsensical test, a few other students, Montaro included, all shouted out, "What?!" in both surprise and stupor over their sensei's action. This action was quickly replaced with every single student in the room glaring holes right through Naruto, who didn't even seem to care at all. It was one thing for Naruto to get punished for something he had done - of course, that was only fair, but for the whole class to get punished for something Naruto did? That just meant Iruka was incredibly pissed off this time. The students began to line up, single file, on the left most set of stairs; most of the capable students would have no trouble with the test at all, and the transformation jutsu was most likely a thousand times easier than anything else Iruka had planned for them that day anyway.

As the students continued to get into an orderly line, Iruka casually untied Naruto with a simple flick of the wrist - the blond haired, wanna-be ninja quickly cut as close to the front the line as he could, which only succeeded in him receiving even harsher glares from his peers.

"This is all your fault," One student whispered to Naruto, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Like I give a damn," Naruto mumbled in return just as Iruka-sensei half-heartedly called him up to the front. The boy quickly went through the mundane process of adjusting the goggles that sat so awkwardly on his forehead. The second he finished, he began the simple chakra focusing process, which was obviously taking longer for him to accomplish than the other students before him had.

"He's going to do something stupid. . ." Montaro whispered to Yukimura, who happened to be directly behind him in line. Yukimura nodded in full agreement; it wasn't like Naruto to do anything by the book, much less would he actually try and make amends for his idiotic pranks.

All in one second, Naruto suddenly transformed, not into Iruka-sensei, but instead into a buxom, naked girl, posed perfectly to show off the female "figure", if you will. Within the very same second, Iruka's nose literally transformed into two large waterfalls of blood, and his face, just as quickly, turned a deep shade of crimson. It was very apparent, even to the casual observer, that the class as a whole was divided into two distinct opinions over Naruto's transformation - obviously those who liked it, and those who weren't amused in the least bit. It was simple logic really, no matter how pretty or sexy that the girl transformation happened to be, all in all it was still Naruto. Naruto quickly undid the transformation, and began laughing hysterically over his prank. A few of the students in the line couldn't contain themselves, and let out short lived gasps of laughter, and the smallest hint of giggles - all of which were silenced as soon as they escaped.

"I call that one my sexy jutsu!" Naruto shouted, proud of his creation - that wasn't to say that some of the students in the class weren't proud of Naruto's work either.

Everyone's faces suddenly turned as white and blank as a sheet when Iruka stood back up - the look on his face had twisted and contorted into something that had crawled up from the very pits of hell itself. His furious figure towered over Naruto all in one second, and, while his face was still red, by now it was out of pure rage rather than embarrassment.

"You moron!!" Iruka shouted out so loud and with so much anger in his voice that it literally caused Naruto to shrink down where he stood, "Don't event stupid jutsu!!"

Sometime amidst the aftermath of laughter and smiles that had passed all around the room, the next student had been called up. Iruka seemed detached from the young girl's progress, however - it wasn't until she cleared her throat that Iruka noticed he was staring at a mirror image of himself. The sensei gave a short nod to the girl as she released the jutsu, and eagerly skipped back to her seat in the far back of the room. This seemed to continue in a random order of activity, whether or not Iruka would space out during their transformation was anyone's guess really. A few minutes were orderly counted off by the nearby clock that rested slightly off center on the nearby wall, and still Iruka-sensei was detached.

"Next, Montaro," His voice sounded like a mixture of a mumble and a sigh, barely audible to the students. Even so, Montaro slowly trotted up, and, with a sudden gaze towards Yukimura, he transformed into their respective sensei. The transformation wasn't perfect, however. Montaro had completely transformed into Iruka, except for the hair - instead of Iruka's brown ponytail Montaro kept his own hairstyle. This phenomenon instantly broke Iruka out of his detachment and apathy. The two stared at each other for nearly a full moment before Iruka, with a smile of course, shook his head.

"Montaro, why didn't you complete the jutsu?" He asked, perplexed, and yet, equally as curious at the same time.

"Sorry sensei," Montaro began, snickering, "But my hair is so much better than yours."

While Iruka didn't much appreciate the insult, however light-hearted it might have been, and even less did he appreciate the prank, all the same, he was apathetic towards it. He waved Montaro off before writing information of an unknown subject onto the clipboard that rested in his hand. Montaro, somewhat disappointed over Iruka's reaction, released the jutsu and energetically made his way back to his seat - the look that Montaro's face had contorted itself into the very second he sat down was obviously his own subtle way of confirming an unrecorded victory. Yukimura rolled his eyes at his friend, but smiled all the same.

"Yukimura Maeda," Iruka's voice was slightly more audible, as if the Chuunin had become aware of his surroundings, but it was still obvious that he was giving the test barely any thought. Yukimura began focusing chakra as he walked towards his sensei, and then just as he made the final stride, applied his chakra into the jutsu - the end result was a simple copy of Iruka-sensei. With another nod, Iruka basically waved the black haired boy off; the student calmly moved back towards his seat, and simply watched on as the other students continued the set out process.

The test as whole took at least twice as much time as it would have normally, but all that meant was that they wouldn't have to worry about a lesson. Not that Iruka was in any condition to give out a lesson, but the fact remained so. Iruka's topic for teaching for today happened to be something he had already covered in depth once before, and as such, most of the capable students who already grasped the topic - Naruto excluded from the list, most likely - paid little mind to the lesson. After his exiguous lectures on the fundamentals of basic shuriken jutsu and proper chakra control, Iruka dismissed the class in a hustle. Not that the academy students would complain about being shooed off in such a rush, no, of course not.

Well, all the students save for Naruto - Iruka was quick to catch up with him before he could scurry out of the class and continue his day filled with pranks and various activities of the sort. Iruka began yelling at Naruto for not taking responsibility for his actions, and was quick to demand Naruto clean up the monument to the Hokages. Not wanting to get lost in Naruto's vocabulary filled with childish insults, idiotic logic, and his supreme knowledge of ramen, Yukimura swiftly exited the building, and into the sunshine filled day that had been bestowed upon the people of Konoha. The black-haired Maeda boy took in the sunshine with a rather apathetic smile, calmly watching every little event that his eyes could catch.

"Man, there you are," Montaro's voice echoed from behind Yukimura, causing him to turn around. Montaro didn't give his friend even the slightest moment to reply to his interjection and, dare-say, intrusion into his thoughts, "I am starving. What say we head over to the ramen shop?"

"Alright," Yukimura quickly replied, fearing that Montaro would interrupt him again before he got the chance.

"Okay. . ." Montaro began, as he started walking in the direction of the two's favorite ramen shack, "Last one there buys!" He added, taking off in a dead-on sprint.

Yukimura was quick to react to the stipulation, and also took off in a sprint of his own, chasing after his gray haired friend. Montaro quickly used a collection of stairways and railings in order to boost himself onto the rooftops of the Leaf, a much easier way to travel than the usually crowded streets. He gazed back after at least ten seconds of top-speed running, and, upon the revelation that his friend had been catching up, Montaro jumped down into a small alleyway - so small, in fact, that Montaro nearly got himself stuck between the two buildings. Adjusting his posture, Montaro fled the alleyway, post-haste, and took off, again, in the direction of the ramen shop. A few more twists and turns came upon him as he continued to run, but nothing the gray-haired student couldn't handle, which he proved to the world by easily flipping over a vender's cart. This action, in turn, granted Montaro a few choice words from the vendor himself, but Montaro did little but laugh in response.

Yukimura on the other hand, ever closing the distance between the two, managed to dive in between the tarp that protected the seller's product, and the product itself - this resulted in an even greater tongue-lashing than Montaro had received. Little mattered to the two when they were in such a heated competition - they seemed to be completely oblivious to anything other than each other and the goal in which they had set. Both boys seemed to sprint just a little bit faster as the shop came into view, both of them racing to be the first one to reach the goal. Yukimura had managed to catch up with Montaro, steadily making his way to his friend's left side. Just as it seemed the two, who were now dead-even in terms of distance, would manage a tie out of their race - a door suddenly flung itself open in Montaro's path.

The door had opened so suddenly that Montaro had less than a second to react, and as a result, he slammed face first into the dark brown door with an almost impossibly loud "thud." In response, Yukimura slowed himself to a stop just a few feet ahead, clearly perplexed over the event that had just unfolded.

"What the heck?!" A girl's voice shouted just before she peeked out from behind the door. Yukimura and Montaro both instantly recognized the girl the second they saw her face; she was Ina Naoe, one of, if not the brightest student in the academy. She had long, brown hair, all of which happened to be tied in an elegant ponytail, and a matching pair of brown eyes. She wore a yellow, form-fitting shirt, the collar of which was lower than a normal hemline. The sleeves of her yellow shirt trailed down her arms before wrapping themselves around the hands and meeting in between the middle and ring fingers. Layered on top of that was a green crop-top styled coat, that would normally have covered Ina's whole torso, if not for the fact that she left the coat completely unbuttoned, save for the top-most one. She also sported a green skirt, the length of which barely covered her thighs - but beneath that were yellow leggings that just barely seemed to touch her knees. Her attire was completed with a pair of green sandals, the colors meshing perfectly with the rest of the outfit as a whole.

Behind Ina stood another girl that the two boys also recognized the moment they saw her - Megumi Shinotachi. Her blond hair was cut short and styled in a way that could only be described as "tomboyish." Her eyes were a light blue, resembling the sky overhead, but, unlike the calm, tranquil sky, her eyes seemed like literal blue flames, dancing about with uninterrupted bursts of energy. Not without mentioning the fact that Megumi's complexion was easily beyond fair, the sign of the many long days she had spent training. The blond haired girl wore a simple blouse, almost completely white, the exception to this being the sleeves; the sleeves themselves only managed to reach Megumi's elbows, and happened to be a very simple shade of green. She also sported a pair of green gloves that that engulfed the girl's entire forearm, and nearly touched the aforementioned sleeves of her blouse. Megumi also wore a pair of white capri pants - these pants had to be folded at the ends to make way for a pair of taped shinguards. It's worth mentioning that the capri pants seemed to be held up by a green belt - the very same color as her gloves, as well as her green sandals.

"You okay, man?" Yukimura asked his friend, extending his hand to help him up. Montaro somewhat reluctantly grabbed his friend's hand, needlessly brushing himself off when he was back on his feet.

"Nothing a law-suit won't solve. . ." Montaro muttered with a serious glare towards Ina, who glared back.

"You should watch where you're going!" The brown haired girl huffed, as she finally stepped outside, with Megumi following ever so slightly behind her.

"I could have head trauma!" Montaro shouted, making sure to point to the large, red mark on his forehead for emphasis.

"It serves you right for running through the street! Just what were you thinking?!" Ina retorted, her damned logic catching the gray-haired boy off guard.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" Montaro began, before making a face that one could only interpret as him being lost in the void of his own thoughts, "You know, you should buy us ramen."

Granted, Ina had expected such a request from someone like Montaro, but even so, she certainly didn't like the idea, "And why should I?!"

It was then that Yukimura decided to enter into the conversation, "Because we're starving, poor children!"

Ina shot him a harmless glare, of sorts; Montaro nodded in complete agreement to his friend's words, while Megumi just giggled.

"Oh, c'mon Ina, we were going to get some ramen anyway, right?" Megumi suddenly entered the conversation, getting smiles from both boys as she took their side in the potential argument. Having been completely defeated by everyone, including her best friend, Ina caved in, which ultimately caused a rather tumultuous celebration between the three.

"Alright, alright!" Ina shouted over their noise-making, "If you'll keep quiet, just one bowl!" Her orders instantly caused the two boys to go silent, but they still continued to beam huge smiles as the four students began to walk towards the ramen shop. While it wasn't a long walk, it wouldn't be nearly as fast as when the two boys had been racing, but, for now, the race was postponed.

"Genin exams are tomorrow," Megumi mentioned, instantly breaking both boys' vows of silence, much to Ina's dismay.

"They'll be simple," Yukimura remarked as they finally reached their destination.

"Hell yeah! They'll be easy!" Montaro almost shouted, hopping into one of the stools, right next to Ina. It seemed like the second the four academy students sat down, the shop's owner appeared, literally, out of nowhere. He was a big man, easily towering over the four kids by at least six inches - his height was also duly matched by his heavy-set build. With a gruff, monotonous voice, but yet, with a smile all the same, he quickly asked for the students' orders.

"Beef!" Montaro was the first to shout - the shop owner nodded as he marked it down, as per regulation.

"Pork!" Yukimura said, immediately after the man's writing stopped, his tone was an obviously challenge to Montaro, who wasn't about to back down.

"I'll have the pork as well," Megumi spoke up when the owner gave her a nod.

"None for me, thanks," was Ina's response to the chef's humble nod - she received her own fair share of odd looks, neither of the three would turn down free ramen.

"No ramen? None? Do you have a fever?" Montaro's hand slowly moved to feel Ina's forehead, but no one, not even Montaro, would dare cross the glare of pure evil she shot in his direction.

"She's on a diet," Megumi whispered as quietly as she could to Yukimura, who responded with a rather apathetic, "Ah."

Minutes upon minutes passed, with very few instances of conversation - the little dialog that passed between the four happened to be oddly timed jokes and quick, serious responses to the previously mentioned jokes. It was all the dynamic duo - Montaro and Yukimura - could do as the time passed until their blessed feast would be sent to them from a higher power, or the chef, as he was better known. Suddenly, three bowls of ramen were slid onto the counter in front of them - that had been their signal. No sooner had the bowls of delicious ramen stopped in front of their respective consumers before both Montaro and Yukimura began eating.

The speed at which they were eating was so inexplicably fast that Megumi and Ina simply stared at the two as if they were staring at two complete savages. Not a noodle seemed to be chewed, only swallowed, and the broth in which the noodles previously rested in had been downed in the same instant that all the noodles left the bowl. The simultaneous sound of the chopsticks hitting the counter and, again, the simultaneous raising of both bowls seemed to signal an end to the competition.

"I'm done!" Yukimura and Montaro shouted at the very exact moment in time - getting wide-eyed stares from everyone, even a few lone citizens of Konoha who had stopped their daily routine just to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

"Okay, this one's a tie," Montaro said with a nod, completely oblivious to the fact that everyone had been staring him and his best friend.

"Yeah," Yukimura agreed; he too was oblivious to the many stares that befell upon Montaro and himself.

"Why do you guys have to make a contest out of everything?" Ina asked, bluntly. Her question caused Montaro and Yukimura to swap confused glances, and shrug. At the very same time, Megumi finished her bowl; certainly it hadn't been as fast as the two boys of the four, but it was still impressive to say the least.

"It's a guy thing, Ina, you wouldn't understand," Montaro remarked, with a innocent-like smile - Ina rolled her eyes in response.

During her eye-rolling, Ina noticed that the shop owner had placed the receipt on the counter, right next to her arm. As she picked up the simple slip of paper, Ina silently gasped at the price, her eyes becoming so wide that even a full moon couldn't compete; she didn't have enough money to pay for the food. Ina's mind began racing, she thought about distracting her two male classmates before grabbing Megumi and running off, leaving them both with the bill, but she wasn't the type of girl to go back on a promise. She thought about starting a tab, maybe the owner would understand, cut her some slack - after all, she did eat lunch there regularly. At the same time however, she knew the owner would never let anyone, not even an honest, good girl like Ina, start a tab.

"I, uh. . ." Ina mumbled, thinking she had been inaudible, but in reality, the three others were staring directly at her. She fumbled the receipt in her hands, nervously trying to think of what to say to them.

"Hey, Ina," Megumi began, taking Ina's attention away from the receipt, "How about I pay for mine, and Yukimura's and you can pay for Montaro's, since you. . . hit him with the door."

"Would you? I'd really appreciate it, Megumi," Ina softly murmured, her face slightly red with embarrassment at the mis-estimation of her own money.

Megumi and Ina pulled their money before handing the ramen shop's owner the combined amount of money, right down to the very last penny that he had written down on the slip of paper. The chef smiled and nodded his thanks at the two girls, and, just as he appeared out of nowhere, he seemed to disappear back into it. The four students removed themselves from the cushioned stools, and spent a few minutes in awkward silence.

"Well, I kind of have to walk Megumi home, so we'll catch you guys later?" Ina suddenly broke the silence, ready to walk towards Megumi's house. Megumi shot a confused glance at her direction, but Ina's actions, which couldn't even begin to break into the barriers of subtlety, assured Megumi that Ina would indeed be walking her home. Montaro and Yukimura, ever oblivious to the feminin acts of cunning and wit, shrugged at each other.

"Thanks for the ramen Ina! All has been forgiven," Montaro quickly said before the two girls had a chance to leave - not that they could, as Megumi was holding Ina back, as if waiting for something.

"You're welcome, I guess," Ina's tone didn't match her words, but Montaro obviously didn't care, or wasn't aware of it.

Again, Ina attempted to start walking away, but just as her best friend had done before, Megumi was holding her in place with an especially strong grip.

"Yeah, thanks for paying for my ramen, Megumi," Yukimura suddenly spoke up, his words instantly creating a smile on the girl's face.

"You're welcome!" She beamed back, releasing the grip she had taken on Ina, causing the brown-haired girl to stumble slightly.

"See you at the academy!" Montaro shouted as the two girls walked away - his words were returned with two simultaneous waves.

"Well," Montaro began, stretching his limbs out as if he had been lazily sitting around for an eternity, "I guess I'd better go train!"

Before Montaro even got the chance to run off into the distance, Yukimura's hand had shot out, grabbing the gray-haired boy by the collar of his coat. Perplexed by his complete lack of mobility, Montaro again tried to take off in a sprint, but unfortunately for him, he only managed to move a few inches forward. Akin to a child throwing a tantrum, Montaro began hopping up and down, stomping on the ground as if it had wronged him in some way. Of course, his actions caused even the everyday passer-by to stare at him in bewilderment. Ina and Megumi, who by this time had managed to distance themselves down the street, had heard Montaro's miniature tantrum, and looked back to see such an event unfold. Montaro, effectively fed up with the situation as a whole, decided that it be best to ask his best friend for help.

"Damn it, Yukimura!" Montaro shouted upon coming to the realization that of all the people hindering his training progress, it happened to be his roommate. At the very same time, Ina rolled her eyes and continued on down the street, while Megumi, who had become rather red in the face, giggled and followed her friend.

"You almost missed class earlier. There's no way I'm letting you go out into the woods today, not with the Genin exams tomorrow," Yukimura said as he took his hand off Montaro's coat collar. Montaro naturally took the time to adjust his collar to his own exact specifications, accurately measuring the collar's depth and making double sure it was perfect.

"But, but, but, Yuki! C'mon!" Montaro gave a half-hearted impression of baby-talk, which obviously did little to appease his black-haired compadre.

"No buts! Let's go!" Yukimura ordered, his voice stern and unyielding, but a smile was on his face nonetheless. Montaro hung his head in response, but walked home with a smile all the same.

As they walked back towards their home, laughing about, more than likely, jokes and semi-rude comments the two happned to be making about various classmates and peers. Of course, one classmate in particular became their main focus of subject - Naruto Uzumaki - especially when they observed the boy standing on a leveled platform, in front of the Hokage statues, unwillingly washing the graffiti he had painted on there earlier in the morning. Neither of the two could contain their laughter when they beheld such a hilarious sight - it instantly became their subject of conversation the whole walk home, with jeers and jokes equally raining down from them both. Even as they trained the rest of the day away at their house, one of the two would undoubtedly make a comment about Naruto, which would easily distract them both from their regiment, filling the house with laughter.

This continued well into the night, both of them practicing basic jutsu and performing various acts of strenuous exercise such as push ups, sit ups, pull ups and the like. The time had long since passed midnight before the two fell asleep, or, rather, passed out.

---

Ina Naoe woke up the very instant her alarm began barraging her with a multitude of annoying noises. She had spent most of the previous afternoon helping her mother with some work around the house, and the rest of her free time had been spent with Megumi or practicing jutsu - not that Ina needed to, she had mastered everything Iruka had taught in the lessons. Her self-confidence at its highest point, Ina went through her early morning ritual of showering and brushing her hair - her long, brown hair looked exceptionally shiny this morning and was equally as well-managable. After taking the time to brush her hair, making sure every individual strand was in perfect position, Ina quickly moved into her closet, which contained a plethora of various clothes, all neatly sorted by catagory

She perused each individual section, calmly weighing the color combinations and various pros and cons of each choice she made. Ina finally decided on an outfit which happened to be exactly the same as the previous days, but the yellow and green were swapped out in favor of different shades - specifically a darker green, and a more vibrant yellow. She made extra sure that her outfit waas wrinkle free and perfect before she exited the comfort of her room and slowly descended the stairway into the living room of her house. The room itself was almost a robin's egg blue color, but only slightly darker in comparison - the furniture accented the color with various shades of blues and whites, creating a rather stylish room, of sorts.

"Good morning, Ina," she heard her mom's voice from the kitchen - Ina quickly moved into the very same kitchen, greeting her mother with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, mom!" Ina replied, as she sat down at the table - staring at the breakfast that lay before her. "Where's daddy?"

Ina's mom sighed, a mixture of happiness and trace amounts of worry, "Oh, that man ran off earlier this morning, shouting and cursing about how he had to take a mission on the very same day his daughter was going to graduate from the academy. He also said something about gouging out the eyes of every stone shinobi he saw if he was even a second late, but I'm sure he'll make it in time."

Ina giggled at her father's apt silliness - even if he had been completely serious - and started to eat her breakfast. Her mother had graciously made her food that happened to be well within Ina's dietary guidelines - wheat toast, and a tall glass of milk. The toast had been lightly covered in margarin, which by this moment in time, had almost completely melted into the bread. The brown haired student lazily gazed over at the kitchen stove, which displayed the time in a bright, neon green against a solid, black background. It was then that Ina decided to speed up her routine - and sped it up is what she did. The glass of milk had been downed in less than a few seconds, and the rather large piece of toast had been completely devoured in even less time; she was sure Montaro and Yukimura would both be proud of that display of eating speed.

"Gotta get to class mom thanks for breakfast love you bye!" Ina said in a hustle, giving her mom a quick hug and placing the dishes in the sink before she quickly exited the house, leaving her mother in a stupor. The woman sighed contently before washing the dishes her daughter had just placed in the sink. In the meantime, Ina had already made her way down the street - finally deciding to slow her pace down to a normal walk, being as the academy was only a ten minute walk, at most. From then on, Ina remembered her hair - she quickly reached into the small, sleeve-like pocket of her shirt, and took out a yellow hair-tie. Using the very same hair-tie, Ina twisted her brown hair into a long, slender ponytail, that quickly positioned itself on her back.

"Hey! Ina!" a voice shouted out from down the street, filling Ina's ears; she instantly recognized that the owner of the voice was her best friend, Megumi. Much like Ina, Megumi did little to change her outfit, only adjusting the colors and shades of her attire. Her hair was completely disheveled and going all which way due to excessive static electricity, she closely resembled a porcupine with that hairstyle.

"Good morning, Megumi," Ina responded, slowing herself down even more to allow Megumi the chance to catch up.

The two instantly took off into a literall rocket of back and forth conversation, telling each other of what they accomplished after the two had parted ways the previous day, among other things. This back forth banter continued until the two girls noticed someone else turn onto the very same street they happened to be on. This was a normal occurance, of course, but something the figure in question had gathered their attention quite easily. From what the two girls could see, the boy was wearing a green hoodie sweatshirt, the sleeves of which had prematurely ripped off. By sheer luck or coincidence, the shade of the green on the hoodie matched the green on both girls' clothes. Beneath that was a long-sleeved, black turtleneck shirt, the sleeves constricting themselves around the wrist, as to prevent the fabric from getting caught. The boy also bore a pair of black cargo-style pants, accented in a green along the pockets, and the seat of the pants. These pants slightly overlayered a pair of black sandals, and, to finish off the attire, he wore black, fingerless gloves, the seams of which were the very same shade of green as the rest of his outfit's accents.

"Akio!" Ina and Megumi both shouted out, waving to their mutual friend. The boy turned around upon hearing his name, which was when they both remembered his, previously unmentioned, short ponytail, which hung freely from his head, but wasn't anywhere near long enough to reach his back, or even his neck for that matter. Akio smirked at the sight of Ina and Megumi, but did little else in terms of acknowledging their presence. The two girls picked up their slow-paced walk and turned it into a jog in order to catch up with with their friend - Akio's black eyes gave the two girls his full attention as they walked beside him.

"How's your morning been going?" Megumi asked Akio, poking him on the arm - he shrugged.

"Are you kidding me? Really? How has my day been?!" The two girls could already tell that the simple question would cause him to break into a rant, "I wake up early this morning and fix my daily protein shake, right? Well something in the damned thing was passed the expiration date, so no shake! After my lack of a breakfast, I decided to go outside, and just so happened to be greeted by the most idiotic excuse for a neighbor I have ever seen in my life. Do you know what he did? He wished me luck. I mean really. Me? Luck? I don't need luck! Luck is for washed up deadbeats like him! Most certainly not for people like me! But anyway. . . I ignored the poor excuse for a human being and started my walk towards the academy, like I do every morning, and, wouldn't you know, the streets are already crowded by the general populace, which just so happens to be completely filled with morons and ignorant individuals. Thank God that you two found me, so I could finally have an intelligent conversation, because I swear to God if I hear any other remarks about the weather someone will definitely pay."

"It really is a nice day outside," Ina casually remarked, mainly directing her sentence towards Megumi, who couldn't help but giggle.

"Why, yes Ina, it's very nice out. One of the best days we've had in a while."

The two girls shared a boisterous laugh at Akio's expense - all he could manage to do in response was roll his eyes, but that only caused the two to laugh even more. This continued for a whole minute, with Akio ranting about something in particular, while Ina and Megumi lightly poked fun at him. This was, of course, until the three came upon a simple, khaki colored building, with a dark green trim. At first glance, there was nothing special about the house as a whole, and as far as they knew, it was just another everyday house they passed on their way to the academy.

"Dude! Get the hell up! The Genin exams!" A voice shouted from inside the khaki house. Akio didn't seem the least bit bothered by it, and continued on without a second thought, but Megumi and Ina both recognized the voice.

"Was that. . ." Ina was about to ask, but before she speak his name, Megumi cut her off.

"Yukimura!" the blond haired member of the group said, almost as if she was overjoyed just by speaking his name.

"Shut up! I don't need any exams!" Another voice shouted back, before a loud crash filled the area, and the sounds of pots and pans hitting the ground could be heard, even out on the street.

"Montaro. . . ?" Ina questioned herself, replaying the small amount of conversation the two of them had shared in order to place his voice.

"You idiot! Let's go! Hurry up!" Yukimura's voice rang out again, somehow managing to overshadow a few more crashes and oddly-timed sounds.

"I refuse to go outside unless I don't need to wear pants!" Montaro retorted back, but it was to no avail.

"You're already wearing pants! You passed out in them!" Yukimura explained, granted his explanation was hidden underneath his harsh tone.

The dialog suddenly stopped after that, of course the trio of friends had already moved on by then and wouldn't have been able hear anything else anyway. It's worth mentioning that after their subtle, morning "encounter" with the two students in the house that Megumi suddenly became semi-detached from the group, often giggling over nothing at random intervals during the conversation. Her face would also turn a deep shade of crimson immediately before, or after her random giggle-attacks, which garnered her plenty of odd stares from both Akio and Ina.

"Well anyway," Akio began, he was just about to finish up a short-lived rant upon realizing they were in front of the academy, "the point being --"

"Heads up!" a voice cut Akio off, with the owner of said voice literally leaping over the three, the boy's gray coat flapped, almost majestically, as he soared the air, akin to an eagle taking flight. It seemed that within the moment in time that the boy had passed over their heads, another boy followed, his clothes also centered around the color gray, albeit much darker in shade. The two landed right into a sprint, nearly knocking over random students in the halls with their speed and their almost complete lack of depth perception while in the air. From what could be seen of the two, the first student's boyishly silver hair had been quickly and sloppily tied to the back of his head, while the other one's black hair was almost completely unkempt. They skidded to an almost halt, neck and neck by now, nearly slipping on the freshly washed floors, but still managing to keep their balance long enough to sprint forward.

"They're so. . . so . . . stupid," Ina struggled to find more sophisticated word, but eventually relied on an old favorite of hers.

"I think Yukimura's going to win. Did you see how fast he was going?" Megumi remarked, as if she hadn't even heard a single thing Ina had said.

"They're just show offs. I bet if I started right now I could beat them to the classroom," Akio stated, more mad about being interrupted than anything else, "especially that gray haired one. He's a jackass. . ."

---

"I win!" Yukimura shouted as he dove head first into the classroom, much to the surprise of the other students.

"Hey! No fair, man! You totally threw that sign in front of me so I'd dodge it and bump into the Hokage!" Montaro complained from outside the door, just before he too entered the room.

"That wasn't the Hokage! I told you that!" Yukimura shot back, with a laugh, Montaro couldn't help but join his friend in laughter.

The two continued laughing all the way to their seats, granting themselves stares from all the kids in the classroom - especially from the three students that just entered: Ina, Megumi, and another student whose name had only come up in the two's conversation as, "That arrogant prick." His black eyes were glaring holes into them both, but his focus seemed to be Montaro, as if he had committed an act so vile and sinister that the punishment could be nothing less than death itself. Megumi smiled when she noticed that they were staring back - her face was slowly turning red, but she was quick to turn into her side and hide her face in her hands. Ina gave a short wave at the two before joining the quiet one and the arrogant one at their seats.

Iruka suddenly walked into the classroom, beaming an unusually large smile and adjusting his forehead protector as he walked. The class silenced themselves upon their sensei's entry, and were desperately awaiting for him to give out the stipulations for the exam.

"As you all know, today's the day of the Genin exams," Iruka began, clearing his throat after his sentence - the class hung on his every word. "To graduate, you'll have to do the clone jutsu. When your name's called, come into the next room. While a few students swapped dismal, hopeless looks towards each other, Montaro and Yukimura, on the other hand, high fived each other, enthusiastic about the simplicity of the test. Still, despite their overwhelming confidence, if anything, the wait was getting to them. The selection hadn't been alphabetical, it seemed to be completely at random - or with some underlying pattern. Early on, Naruto Uzumaki had been called into the room - his confidence had been, dare say, even greater than anyone's. His confidence was certainly misplaced however, for as soon as he stepped inside, it seemed as if he was already back out - without a headband.

This didn't come as a surprise to the other students; Naruto had failed three other times previously, and his fourth try would end no different. Suddenly, the black haired, arrogant prick that Ina and Megumi had entered the classroom with, was called back into the room - similar to Naruto, he too seemed to walk in and out in no time flat, but opposite of Naruto, his forehead protector, complete with black fabric, rested proudly on his arm. Ina and Megumi both gasped in surprise, but it most certainly wasn't because of the fact that he had passed.

"Akio! You broke your promise!" They shouted in unison - Akio rolled his eyes.

"Sorry ladies, I like it black," Akio returned, walking out of the classroom with his head held high - Ina and Megumi just crossed their arms and huffed in response.

"Yeah, you and every other emotionally challenged prick," Montaro commented, just loud enough for Yukimura, and maybe a few others, to hear it. Everyone who did hear it however, tried their hardest to not laugh out loud in response.

"Yukimura Maeda," Iruka-sensei suddenly said as he walked into the room, motioning his student towards himself and the door. Yukimura quickly stood up and trotted into the room, where both Iruka and Mizuki were waiting. They didn't bother giving him any instructions, they just sat behind their desk, waiting. Yukimura began the simple chakra gathering process, and, with the equally as simple use of a handsign, created two perfect clones of himself. All three Yukimuras stood there, continuing to hold the handsign in place, awaiting the two's decree.

"Pass," Iruka said, with a thoughtful smile, "congratulations. Pick any color you want."

Yukimura released the jutsu, alowing the clones to dissipate into two small clouds of smoke and dust before he walked up to the table. His mind weighed in each choice as his eyes perused the variety of colors. Red? Definitely not. Green? No, no, not a good choice. Black? Yukimura just wasn't feeling black. Dark blue? While not far off from black, color just seemed to call out to him - begging to be taken away. He quickly grabbed the dark blue-clothed forehead protecter off the table, and fastened it perfectly on his head, as it was meant to be wore. Iruka and Mizuki smiled and nodded and the newly christened Genin before he walked out of the room with an almost impossibly large smile on his face.

"Nice job Yukimura!" Megumi shouted before anyone else could even react - she seemed to be sharing in his enthusiasm, as her smile was just as large as his own.

"Yeah, nice job!" Ina agreed with her best friend, granted her smile was meager in comparison to the two of them.

"You look really stupid in that thing. . ." Montaro commented, slowly shaking his head.

"Oh please - you're just jealous cause I'm prettier than you!" Yukimura shot back, as he opened the door.

He laughed lightly as he walked outside the classroom, the hallway filled with the parents of students, all hushed in order to surprise their children when they walked outside. At the thought, Yukimura hung his head slightly and walked down the hall - no one would be giving him any condratulations out here. Near the end of the hall, he finally found a spot to stand, and leaned up against the wall; his thoughts slowly incasing themselves in memories that the black-haired Genin just didn't want to think about. Though it was inevidable - it seemed that for every student that either failed or passed the exam, that very same student had parents who would comfort them or praise them up and down.

It was then that Yukimura spotted a familier figure, hidden in the midst of the other parents - most of the man's long, messy black hair had been covered in the gray of the age, and his eyes had faded to a dull, lapsed silver. He wore a black, casual, robe-like coat, which bore an all too familiar white symbols along the torso and the sleeves - the sleeves themselves had been rolled up to the man's forearm, revealing his muscular physique. His pants and sandals were not that of a shinobi, but more of a farmer, or outdoorsman, but they were black all the same.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Ina's voice rang in Yukimura's head, breaking him out of his stare - when he gazed back, the man was gone. Yukimura quickly averted his focus to Ina, as she attempted to show him the headband that she had used to tie her hair - the fabric was green, surprisingly it seemed to match rather well with her clothes.

"Oh, sorry," Yukimura began, smiling, "Congrats on passing the test!"

While she wasn't totally convinced that she had grasped Yukimura's attention completely, she thanked him all the same.

"Baby girl! You passed!" Someone shouted from completely down the hall - when Yukimura turned to see who it was, the man had already traversed the entire hallway and was already hugging Ina. Yukimura stared, perplexed at his speed. The man wore a Jounin's uniform, and his Hidden Leaf headband had been used push back his sweat-covered brown hair.

"Daddy! You made it!" Ina enthusiastically clamored, returning her father's hug. Despite the overwhelming emotion the man was showing, Yukimura could tell just by looking into his steel-gray eyes that the man was an expert shinobi - they were intense, like the man had stolen them right out of a tiger.

"Mom!" Ina called, using her free hand to wave another woman, whose appearance could only be described as what Ina would probably look like when she got older - with brown hair and eyes to match her daughter's, and a similar build.

During the Naoe family's emotional scene, Montaro practically ripped open the door, a blue forehead protector resting around his neck.

"That's right everyone, I passed the Genin exam! Please, hold your applause," He said as he scanned the crowd for his best friend. Yukimura waved him over from down the hall - amidst the Naoes. Montaro stared at the family in almost complete bewilderment. He quickly poked the brown haired Jounin, only known as Ina's father, gathering his attention away from his daughter.

"Hiya!" Montaro's enthusiasm seemed to do nothing but annoy the man - he stared at the gray-haired, new found Genin with a look of total bewilderment.

"Oh, daddy, this is my uh. . .," She seemed to be at a loss for words over exactly what to label Montaro in her endless string of vocabulary words, "my friend, Montaro."

"Right," the Jounin's voice filled with a total and complete lack of any interest in Montaro - his focus quickly turned back to Ina, only to be interrupted again.

"Ina!" Megumi shouted as she rushed out the classroom and into the hall, a wide smile on her face, and a green-clothed headband 'round her neck. Ina, much to the surprise of her father and a few others who noticed the event, managed to break from her father's tight hug and join Megumi in a sort of celebration. The celebration was nothing more than the two girls' laughing, giving copius congratulations to each other and various moments where the two hopped up and down.

"Ohh! You're a Genin now!" A blond haired woman emotionally choked out as she walked down the hall - Megumi was more than overjoyed to see this woman. The two quickly hugged, their hair and eyes matching completely when they were compared side by side. The woman's face beemed with youth, and her clothes were quite similar to Megumi's in terms of style, albeit quite different in color.

"Mom, of course you remember Ina," Megumi said, pulling the older woman by the hand towards Ina, who seemed to be just as happy as Megumi to see her. The three women instantly went into another boisterous celebratory cheer.

"Ina! You're a Genin too!" Megumi's mother shouted, not out of surprise, but more so out of pure happiness.

"Oh! Oh! These are my friends Montaro," Megumi, again, took her mother by the hand and pointed out Montaro, who smiled and waved, "And. . . that's Yukimura!"

"He's the one you were telling me --" Mrs. Shinotachi was quickly cut off by her daughter's palms being placed over her mouth.

"Washi Naoe! You told me you would come home first before you ran off to the academy!" A brown-haired woman shouted from down the hall as she speed-walked towards Ina's father. It was obvious that he most definitely did not want to get on her bad side. It seemed just as the woman was about to give Washi Naoe a piece of her mind, she noticed Ina's very own headband, and whatever anger she had quickly disappeared. It seemed impossible, but Megumi, Ina, and the two's mothers shared in third and final loud celebration, which lasted twice as long as the two others combined. They seemed to be completely ignoring Washi, who was trying to find a way to join in the celebration, but was ultimately being denied.

It was during this time that both Montaro and Yukimura had left the hallway, and the building as a whole. They didn't bother making a competition over who could make it outside the fastest, or anything trvial like that. Instead, they hung their heads low, and moved almost at a snail's pace, not even sharing a moment of conversation or congratulations.

"I'm going to . . ." Yukimura was about to say, scratching the back of his head, almost as if talking was completely awkward.

"Yeah, yeah, me too," Montaro quickly understood what his friend meant, and the two parted ways - slowly the two walked through the depths of Konoha, with the past racing through their minds, and also their hearts.


	4. Chapter 2: All in the Family

Chapter Two: All In the Family

Montaro was uncharacteristically quiet as he exited the academy, silently parting from his friend Yukimura as they went their separate ways. His silence continued as he drifted through the streets of Konoha, his head low and his pace slower than a walk. He resembled a sorrowful ghost more than his usual free-spirited, though annoying, self. All the joy he had felt in passing the exams had subsided when he saw them in the hallway. All of his fellow graduates, laughing and celebrating with their parents, even the ones that failed had someone there for them. Even the comical scene of Ina trying to escape the vice grip of her father's hug served as a bitter reminder of Montaro's situation. While all those kids had parents that loved them, Montaro had no one.

The only thing left in the world that was even close to his family was his best friend and room-mate Yukimura, and he didn't have anyone either. They were perfect friends, neither had no one in the world to care about or care about them. They hardly ever spoke of family or loved ones, which was just as well as Montaro never truly met his family. He suspected that Yukimura once lived with his but he never brought it up, refusing to bring out old scars they both shared. As terribly lonely as it was to never have a family, it was even more painful to lose them after you've known them. Montaro had a terrible experience of how that felt. He slowly lifted his head and rested his purple eyes on the area before him: The Konoha Shinobi memorial grounds.

He sighed heavily and lowered his head again as he stepped inside, remaining silent and paying the proper respects to the markers he passed. He didn't look up once but his body was so used to taking this path that it led him to his destination with ease. When he lifted his head again he was beholding a rather plain grave marking. It was a simple slab of rock but it had been covered with kanjis that translated to various condolences, tributes, and titles. All of these beautiful words were centered around a name: Yuudai Tenmou. Montaro bowed low to the grave before he slowly moved down to a sitting position, his legs crossed, before it. It was true that Montaro had never met his blood relations, sometimes he would spend hours in the cemetery and wonder if they were buried there, having died as heroes.

"Master Yuudai..." Montaro said quietly, greeting the grave of the closest thing he had ever had to a family. Yuudai was a legendary shinobi of the village hidden in the leaves. He was a veteran of many battles and wars, all of which took a great toll on his body. He was in his fifties, covered in scars but still strong and vigorous, when Montaro arrived on his doorstep. He was only an infant and Yuudai somehow found it in him to take him in. Ever since Montaro could walk Yuudai taught him how to be a shinobi, possibly to carry on his legacy. The young silver haired shinobi pretty much worshiped his master and always respected his privacy. He always had a feeling that Yuudai knew something of his family but he was too young to ever bother to ask. Now that Yuudai was gone he really wished he had.

Montaro was only ten when it happened, on his tenth birthday as a matter of fact. He remembered how excited he was that day. In class they were covering the clone jutsu but his master had already showed him that many times before. Yuudai was always a much better teacher but he insisted on Montaro going to school and making friends. Immediately after school, however, Yuudai was going to teach Montaro a powerful taijutsu move that he had been training months for. There was an extra spring in the silver-haired shinobi's step as he sped through the day, meeting a young man who would later become his best and only friend, Yukimura Maeda. Montaro rushed back home, ready to tell Yuudai all about the day as they trained but, as soon as he arrived, he could see something was wrong.

The ANBU were all over their home and forbade Montaro from going inside. He paced around the building, shouting frantically at any shinobi that came near. Finally someone, a jounin of the Hyuuga clan, set him aside and explained everything. Apparently some unknown shinobi had attacked Yuudai during the day. The old man had put up one hell of a fight but eventually the man defeated him and feld just before ANBU arrived. Montaro couldn't believe it, everything he had known had been destroyed that day. For a while he simply stood there, then the tears came. He slept in the woods for a long time after that, refusing to return to the home that Yuudai had left for him. Eventually he did return and to this day he lived there with Yukimura. That was why he didn't return home with his friend, it would have made things so much more difficult.

"Hey, Master." Montaro spoke quietly, not looking up at the grave. "I made it," He continued, holding up the protector around his neck, "I'm an official genin of the village now. I thought it would look best around my neck since everyone wore it on their head. Besides, like you said, I'm so hard-headed I wouldn't need the protection." The young genin laughed at the memories of his master and guardian, all the hours they spent training, all the time they spent together like a real family. To think he had lost it all while everyone else was still happy with their own loved ones. It was as if while his world completely came to an end, everyone else just kept on going. He had felt like he was the only one to endure that misery until he truly got to know Yukimura. It was true, misery enjoyed company and knowing he had a friend that understood his ordeal made things easier...

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Yukimura seemed to fade into the darkness of his home, appearing out of it as though he truly belonged there. He didn't reach for a light switch, or attempt to pull back the curtains of the windows and let in the light of the day. He was perfectly content moving through the intimate darkness that blanketed the home he shared with Montaro. It was a perfect match for how he felt on the inside, dark, cold, and detached from all else in the world. He drifted through the living room and up the stairs almost as if he wasn't bound by the world anymore. His room was just as dark as the place he had left and he was content to keep it that way. He knew his room so well he didn't need to see to navigate it, not to mention the simple fact that he was so used to being in constant darkness that he greeted like a long lost friend.

He sat on the edge of his bed, slightly slouched over and staring at the floor, breathing in the darkness all around him. A few loose strands of hair moved into his line of sight and he moved to push them back, briefly touching his headband as he did so. The new genin quickly abandoned the task of fixing his hair and pulled his forehead protector from his head. For minutes he stared into the reflective steel of the headband, his dark eyes staring into those of his counterpart forever trapped in the steel. He sat there for the longest time, simply staring. This was the first big step on his road to being a great shinobi, this headband was proof of his first achievement. When he left his old life behind he swore to himself that he would become a great shinobi, prove that those who abandoned him were mistaken and that he didn't need the aid of anyone that abused him.

Even so, he couldn't enjoy this great victory. He had tried for years to forget everything related to his family and his clan but he wasn't prepared for the events of earlier. Seeing all of those families, so happy together, reminded him of his old life. He could barely remember the good times he had with his mother and father. They had been buried underneath years of abuse and abandonment. Seeing him there at the academy dug up all the old wounds that Yukimura had suffered during his time as part of the Maeda clan and reminded him of how his family simply left him there. Despite all the pain he felt, Yukimura couldn't forget his family entirely. He gently set his headband down beside him as he reached into the bedside table and pulled out his most prized position.

The photograph as old, a bit more than four years of wear and tear to it but Yukimura cherished it as though it were made of gold. It depicted a much younger Yukimura, barely eight it seemed, with his hair combed and tied up. Unlike his matured counterpart who seemed on the verge of tears, the younger Yukimura seemed to be laughing uncontrollably. The young genin felt a single tear sting one of his eyes, which he quickly blinked away, as he turned to the figure it was laughing at. It was a young girl, at least two years his counterpart's junior. She looked very much like Yukimura, her black hair tied into pigtails and her dark eyes absorbing the warmth of the scene. The two had been eating ramen when the picture was taken and in the girl's haste to smile at their parents she had forgotten to pull the chopsticks from her mouth or even swallow her food. To this day, the look on her face made Yukimura smile.

The picture was one of the happiest memories Yukimura had left and he would protect it to the end of the world. No matter how strong he became, no matter how much he changed, he would always cling to those memories of happier times despite how many other memories of much crueler times rested with them. He had found something of a confidant in Montaro, someone who understood the pain and abandonment he felt to an extent but he could never truly understand. While Montaro was very close to his guardian he could never fully ascertain how much a family could mean to someone and how painful it could be to lose. That was the way loved work, one instant it made Yukimura the happiest in the world, and the next it tore him apart. His friend never had to face that, only loneliness. Heart-wrenching pain or soul-crushing loneliness, both terrible options but the only ones they ever had...

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Happiness and joy seemed to radiate from the Naoe household as Ina was showered with praise and affection from her parents. She was currently sitting in the family's dining room, a fairly simply affair with multiple cushions arranged around a long table, plenty of room for the family and then some. Every corner of the room was filled with the incredible smell of Mrs. Naoe's home-cooking and everyone's bellies growled greedily at the feast. Ina smiled at her friends, Megumi and Akio, they were both glad to join in her family's celebration. Megumi seemed more than little disappointed about Yukimura's absence but Ina didn't know what she expected. She had only known him and Montaro for a day, hardly long enough to invite them over to dinner.

At any rate, she was certain that they had their own families and loved ones to attend to. Speaking of, Miss Shinotachi and the Naoes had taken a break from showering their children to talk amongst themselves. The three kids took this as a sign to eat and quickly dug in, Ina completely forsaking her diet for the sake of celebration. It had been so long since Ina had eaten a meal as good as this that she couldn't help herself from eating like some sort of wild animal. Both her and Megumi reminded her a bit too much of Montaro and Yukimura for her comfort. Akio ate the most dignified manner of them all, taking small portions and chewing thoroughly before swallowing. As they ate they all laughed and joked and congratulated themselves on passing and other conversation such as that.

Eventually the food had been completely devastated and the adult's amazing repertoire of praise and proud statements seem to run dry. So while the three of them were all engaged in casual conversation, mostly about some jounin returning to the village, the three genin made their way up to Ina's room. Her room was a bit more extravagant than other rooms in the house. Her walls were a sunshine yellow with bright yellow accents on the carpeting and molding. Her bed was a few sizes too big for her, the vanity mirror on a desk she had tucked in the corner was bigger than the desk itself. She had her own personal bathroom and a complete walk-in closet, the door fitted with a full body mirror. The girls took a seat on the bed while Akio pulled over the chair from the desk.

"We're finally genin, can you believe it?" Megumi asked, glancing down at the newest accessory to adorn her neck. Ina smiled and nodded, touching her own protector she had tied in her hair.

"I sure as hell can." Akio said, his voice mixed with a scoff as he tapped himself on the arm where his headband rested.

"You don't seem too happy about it." Megumi pointed out.

"Perhaps you regret choosing black and not green?" Ina suggested with a mischievous smile, Akio snorted. "Come on Akio! You promised! We all did!"

"I apologized didn't I?" Akio asked, getting a laugh from the girls. "Anyway making genin is just another step, isn't it? Remember what we all vowed? To become the greatest shinobi ever."

"The next generation of sannin... That's right." Megumi said, remembering their old pledge.

"Oh, that's right. I was so excited I forgot." Ina said, also recalling the agreement.

"Exactly, so this is just the start. No need to worry though. Megumi is too determined to fail, Ina is just a genius and me? Well I'm simply destined for greatness so we're good." The young man stated, more than a hint of arrogance in his voice. The two girls giggled at him but he seemed too self-indulged to care.

"I heard Naruto was the only one to not make genin." Megumi said abruptly.

"He failed again?" Ina asked, Megumi nodded.

"Figures," Akio said with a scoff, "That kid is a loser, always will be."

"Well, yeah I guess but he doesn't even have a family. No one to teach him and guide him or anything like that. Can you imagine how difficult that must be?" Megumi suggested, Ina nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, daddy is one of the best shinobi in the village. He always kept me motivated to study and mom was always there when I needed her." Ina recalled. Megumi thought of her own mother and how, while she wasn't a kunoichi herself, she never ceased trying to help her daughter to achieve. Akio was the only one to disagree as he shook his head.

"Please. The parents have no effect on whether or not their child is a loser." He said bluntly. Ina was suddenly reminded of his situation but before she could say anything to console him, he continued. "Look at me. My parents wanted to deprive me off my destiny and kicked me out. Well good riddance. I'm dead to them, they're dead to me. I'm all alone and still I'm just amazing. Meanwhile kids like Naruto are on their fifth genin exam while others like that gray-haired jackass are complete narcissistic idiots."

"Well not everyone is as strong as you, Akio." Megumi reminded, the dark haired boy rolled his eyes. He seemed ready to respond when Ina cut him off.

"Wait, you mean Montaro doesn't have a family?" She asked, feeling a sudden rush of sympathy for the young man she was so quick to dismiss as a moron.

"Yeah..." Akio answered offhandedly, he was never a fan of repeating himself.

"I never knew..." Ina said, suddenly regretting how badly she treated him. "That must be so hard. I mean I don't know what I would do without my mom and dad..." Akio snorted again, obviously completely set in his argument. "Come on, Akio. Just because you and your parents hate each other doesn't mean everyone feels the same way about their family!" Ina snapped, catching both of her friends off guard.

"Whatever. You want to turn this party into a pity-fest, I won't stick around." Akio said, his voice betraying the aggravation he felt. Without another word he rose to his feet and moved toward the door, Ina barely had time to think on her words before he was at the door.

"Wait, Akio!" She called but he didn't slow, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Sure you did." He said before exiting the room. Ina thought about going after him but simply sighed and sat down.

"Don't worry, we just need to give him some space." Megumi said in an understanding voice.

"Yeah but still, he can be a real jerk sometimes." Ina said, Megumi nodded. "I can't believe Montaro is all alone he seemed so happy and nice."

"Yeah... Do you think Yukimura is the same way?" She asked, Ina could only shrug in response.

"He keeps too much to himself for me to say. I can't believe it, I just went in there and flaunted my great life in front of them... I didn't even invite them over..." Ina suddenly shot up to her feet, "That settles it! I am going to go see him and cheer him up!"

"Who?" Megumi asked, watching as Ina adjusted her headband and straightened her clothes.

"Montaro of course, it's the least I can do after the way I treated him." She said, "You can come and talk to Yukimura if you want." Instantly, Megumi's face turned bright red.

"No! Well... I'm not sure..." She said, averting her gaze and staring at the ground. Ina bent over and tilted her head so she could look her friend in her embarrassed face.

"Earlier you were so upset about him not being here! And before you had no problems screaming at him." She reminded the young kunoichi, causing her to become even more flustered.

"Well yeah but those times I just bumped into him but now I would be going to his house..." Megumi trailed off before suddenly shaking her head, "No, no! I can't do it!" Like Akio before her, she suddenly shot up to her feet. "I'll see you later Ina!" The young woman hardly had time to say her goodbyes before Megumi shot down the stairs.

"I swear those two are so weird..." Ina remarked, shaking her head.

Akio was long gone by the time Ina walked down stairs and Miss Shinotachi was still in the process of saying her goodbyes as Megumi, still red in the face, pulled on her arm in vain. Once they were gone and her parents were busying themselves with cleaning she announced she was going out for a bit. After saying goodbye to her mother and promising her father twenty-seven times over that she wasn't going out to meet a boy, she was on her way. Of course, it was a lie but one that was far better than telling Washi Naoe the truth. As her sandaled feet hit the streets of Konoha Ina remembered that she didn't actually know where Montaro and Yukimura lived but she did have an idea. With determination in her stride she began making her way to the khaki colored building where she had heard the boys yelling just this morning.

The walk was a short one and all the while Ina busied herself with thoughts of what to say or do. She had not considered the fact that they might not want to talk to her, or the fact that she had no idea what they were going through. She was beginning to doubt this was the proper course of action now. After all, she hardly knew either of them and was only doing this out of guilt. She was certain that the last thing either of them wanted was her sympathy. She was considering turning around when the unassuming building with green trim came into view. In that instant she decided she was right, they didn't want nor need any of her sympathy but what they did need was a friend. With that line of thought, Ina regained her resolved and walked up to the door of the building.

She knocked gently three times before she realized the door was open, only by a crack but opened nonetheless. Hesitantly, she pushed the door open further so she could stick her head in and stared into the darkness beyond. "Hello?" She called quietly. When no one answered her she considered walking around from the house and going on her way. Then she was stricken with a different wave of thought. She didn't know much of anything about Montaro and Yukimura and here there home was wide open to her prying eyes. Curiosity got the better of her and, with a repressed giggle, Ina tip-toed into the building. She moved quietly and cautiously through the room, the darkness making it impossible for her to see much of anything but she didn't dare turn on a light.

Eventually, moving blindly through the darkness led her to a stairway which she quickly ascended, using the railing to keep her balance in the darkness the entire time. To her immediate left on the landing up the stairs was a door just as unassuming as the rest of the house in the darkness. Upon inspection using the little sunlight that broke into the darkness of the building, she saw a sign. It was a fairly simple sheet of cardboard with sloppy script sprawled across it that read: "Lair of the Sexy Best". 'Must be Montaro's room...' Ina thought. She looked around the building quickly, only seeing darkness, before she put her hand on the knob and turned it. The room was just as dark as the main building but after a few seconds of groping the darkness Ina managed to find a light switch.

Instantly the room was bathed in artificial light, revealing every square inch of its confines. The room was fairly basic a simple square without windows, only khaki walls and green carpet. The only furniture in the room was a simple mat for sleeping and a wooden box that served as a table. The floor was littered with clothes of ambiguous cleanliness and old, worn, sweat and blood stained tape that had been piled in a corner. Other than that was an old, beaten down punching bag that had once been tied to the ceiling until Montaro got overzealous and apparently tore it down. The room showed more than its fair share of scars from Montaro's attempts to train within it. There were distinct, fist-shaped holes and dents dotting the walls and old plaster littered the floor.

Ina almost laughed at the thought of Montaro destroying his entire home for the sake of learning one technique but contained herself as she walked around the room. There was nothing other than what she had already taken note of except for the potent scent of swear and mildew, no doubt from the used tape and clothes. She was passing by his small mat when she noticed something poking out from under the small cushion of a pillow he had. She knelt down and pulled out the object, revealing an old picture frame. It had been well kept over the years but she could tell its age as the picture within depicted a distinctly younger Montaro, possibly four years younger than he was now. Despite his age he still had the confident, but undeniably charming, smile she associated with him.

What she really took note of about this picture, however, was the man standing beside Montaro. He was an old man, possible in his fifties but still in considerable shape despite his age. His hair was white and wild as though he never bothered to brush it. The sparse amount of facial hair that he had grown, apparently by accident, reflected this as well. His yellowish-green eyes were just as old and fiery as his hair, only sharpened with his age and experience. He wore his Konoha forehead protector proudly on his head and wore the simple jounin uniform to match it. What was truly amazing about the man was all the scars he bore on the tanned leather of his skin. He had three scars across his right cheek, and a long one across his left eye, a scar cut in an 'X' shape rested on his chin and several more went down his neck, hinting toward more scars marking his body.

Just as Ina was wondering who this man is and what his connection to Montaro was, she heard someone enter the room behind her and nearly jumped in surprise when she heard Yukimura's voice.

"You know this is illegal, right?" He asked in his usual apathetic manner. Ina sighed slightly when she realized he wasn't angry and turned to face him.

"Well I did knock but no one answered..." She replied, the picture still in her hands. Yukimura took note of it and, politely, pulled it from her hands.

"And your first thought was to just waltz in here? Up to Montaro's room? Gosh, his ego is already so big. When he finds out you're stalking him it'll double in size." Yukimura joked as he glanced down at the picture. "you should mess with other people's things." He said, almost coldly before placing the picture upright on Montaro's makeshift table.

"I'm sorry, please don't tell him." Ina pleaded, Yukimura shrugged in response. "If you don't mind me asking... Who was that man? I had heard Montaro didn't have a family..."

"That's pretty much true." Yukimura replied, "But that man was the next best thing for him. He was his master and legal guardian... He was killed a few years ago."

"Oh... That's terrible..." Ina said, Yukimura nodded solemnly in response. "So he really is all alone... How can he be so happy about it?" Again, Yukimura shrugged.

"It's just how Montaro is. Maybe he thinks his happiness will bring others happiness, spread like some disease to everyone around him. Maybe he's just idiotically upbeat about his plight, I can't say for sure." Ina noticed the detachment in Yukimura's voice and something else, perhaps envy.

"Are..." Ina began but trailed off, wondering just how to ask the question. "Are you alone as well, Yukimura?" She finally managed to say, earning her a somewhat annoyed but solemn look.

"I suppose... I have Montaro I guess." He said with a shrug, trying not to betray the sorrow he felt.

"I'm sorry, it was dumb of me to ask." Ina said, noticing this. Yukimura only shrugged again.

"If you're looking for Montaro, he's not here. He's off visiting him," He paused briefly to gesture to the picture, "but be warned, he isn't always smiling." The young genin said before turning out of the room.

"Oh, thanks. See you tomorrow, Yukimura!" She called, getting a half-hearted wave in response.

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Montaro wasn't aware of how much, if any, time passed as he sat there before his master's final resting place. The memorial ground was incredibly still as he lay there, given him more than enough solitude and space to think on all the times he had spent with his long lost loved one. And did they have some good times. There were some memories where Yuudai seemed more like a close friend than any type of parental figure. And others still where he was the most strict sensei Montaro had ever seen, much more strict than Iruka or any other instructor at the academy. Even so, it obviously paid off for Montaro. He was most likely infinitely stronger than most genin, excluding Yukimura but he was still determined to grow stronger. His master had given him a good start but he still needed to grow stronger.

That day all of those years ago he had vowed on Yuudai's grave to become stronger and stronger until he could fulfill his master's legacy. There was a time, when he was overcome with grief and rage, that he considered for revenge. Maybe, somewhere deep inside of him, he was still considering it. No, he wouldn't do that. Killing for the sake of vengeance only led to more killing and more killing until it completely consumed one's life. Montaro may have been young and, by several accounts, not the brightest kid in the village but he still knew that. He didn't want to think of how disappointed Yuudai would be in him if he chose to live that life. Even so, if he ever met the man who did that to Yuudai and it came down to his life being in Montaro's hands, the young genin wouldn't save him.

He pondered that thought and all that it meant for a moment before the stillness around him was broken. The footsteps were quiet and soft but the graveyard had been so still before and for so long that Montaro picked up the sound easily. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, completely regaining his composure, before rising to his feet. He turned to face his visitor with his normal smile on his face, taking on a look of surprise when he saw it was none other than Ina Naoe. She flashed him a weak smile in return to his own before looking at the grave he had just spent hours staring at. He could tell she was sad but it was mostly for his sake than any real feeling she had, even so, he was sad enough for them both.

"Yuudai Tenmou..." Ina read aloud, "Who was he?" She asked, thinking it would be best if she didn't bring up the details of her breaking into his bedroom.

"He was my sensei a long time ago." Montaro replied, his smile weakening. "He taught me a whole lot... He was almost like..." He broke off but Ina was quick to complete it for him.

"Family?" She supplied, Montaro nodded. "Yeah... I heard about your..situation." She said, unable to think of anything fitting to call it.

"Don't worry about it." Montaro said quietly, Ina seemed taken aback by his tone. "It's not problem, really. I've dealt with it." He assured her, a false smile overtaking his face.

"I guess you have..." She said, seeing through his charade. "But I feel bad... I treated you like an idiot and I didn't even know you." Montaro shrugged but he wasn't quite as capable as appearing apathetic as his dark-haired friend. "At least let me make it up to you... Want to get some ramen of something?" As soon as she suggested it, a genuine smile crept over Montaro's face.

"You mean... Like a date?" He suggested, his boyishly playful tone and expression returning. Instantly Ina's face turned into a frown though she silently rejoiced after pulling him out of his stupor.

"You idiot! Not like that at all!" She shouted but his smile didn't weaken.

"Hey, you said it, not me." He said, "So when should I pick you up?" Ina let out a frustrated sigh before she turned away and left Montaro standing there, grinning as though he had won some great victory.

Ina smiled to herself as she walked out of the memorial grounds, proud that she had succeeded in cheering Montaro up though still a bit upset by his suggestion. Could she do anything nice for anyone without them reading into it like that? With someone like Montaro, it seemed doubtful. The silver-haired shinobi, for his part, was grinning like an idiot as he watched her walk away. As far as he was concerned this was just one step closer. He looked over his shoulder at Yuudai's grave and gave it a slight nod before he left the grounds. He and Ina parted ways before they could speak again and he wasted no time in rushing home to Yukimura, eternally grateful to Ina for attempting to help him. He wasn't surprised to be greeted by darkness as he entered their home but quickly flipped on the lights.

The light quickly eradicated the shadows and revealed the form on Yukimura, resting comfortably on the couch with his head on his hands and his eyes staring at the ceiling. He lifted his head slightly and gave Montaro a slight no before returning to his resting position. Montaro shrugged off the greeting and took a seat on a chair near the couch.

"You talk to Ina?" The black-haired genin questioned. Montaro shot him a curious look.

"How'd you know?" He asked, also assuming a relaxed posture like his friend.

"She came by here looking for you." Yukimura replied, deciding it was best to keep their little exchange in Montaro's room to himself. The silver-haired genin nodded.

"Yeah, we talked a bit." He said, "She digs me." He added off-handedly with a proud nod. Yukimura laughed lightly at his friend's rash judgment. "For honest! Why else would she come all the way to the memorial grounds to see me?"

"She's a good person?" Yukimura suggested getting a sarcastic scoff in response. "Whatever. I'm just saying according to you every woman in Konoha digs you."

"It's a widely believed fact!" Montaro shot back with a laugh that Yukimura joined.

For a while the two sat there in silence, enjoying one another's company. It had been an emotionally trying day for the both of them and this precious silence was all they could ask for. They both considered themselves to be very lucky to have a friend that understood what the other was going through, that knew when to give them space and when to help them. Really by saying nothing at all they communicated pretty much everything on their minds. Sure, they competed over every little thing and they certainly kept their own secrets hidden but they were still the best of friends. The two were kindred spirits, both alone in the world but somehow managed to find each other. Sometimes Montaro wondered if this was what having a brother was like.

"Oh," Yukimura began, finally shattering the silence, "Don't forget we have to go to the academy tomorrow." Montaro didn't seem to know what he was talking about as he quickly shouted in response.

"What the hell for?!" He asked, thinking they were done with school and would never have to return to that wretched prison. Yukimura laughed at his friend's short memory and low attention span.

"We have to be assigned to squads, remember?" He said, Montaro relaxed and gave a silent 'ah'. "What do you think will happen?" Yukimura asked, "Think we'll be split up?" Montaro shrugged.

"Could happen, lots of kids passed with us." He replied, returning to a relaxed position.

"I hope not, pretty much everyone else sucks." The two laughed at Yukimura's comment. "I suppose as long as I don't have to deal with Naruto I'm happy."

"I heard that." Montaro agreed before glancing out the window. The night sky was pitch black, only the silver light of the moon and stars granting a reprieve to the darkness. "I guess I'm going off to bed." He said, yawning and stretching as he rose to his feet. "What about you?"

"I'll be up in a minute." Yukimura replied, his eyes now set on the darkness out the window. Montaro obeyed his friend's wishes and walked up the stairs to his simple bedroom and fell down on his cot. There he allowed memories of the past and thoughts of the future lull him asleep...

The booming thunder of the heavens, more commonly known as a knock on the door, shocked Montaro from his slumber. The voice of the god who unleashed this thunder, though some refer to him as Yukimura Maeda, quickly filled the young man's tired ears. "Come on, Montaro! We've got to go!" The silver-haired shinobi slowly rose to a sitting position, his eyes half open as he stared at his door, as if wondering how it failed to defend his sleeping form. He responded to his friend, attempting to assure him that he was awake but it all came out one jumbled groan. Yukimura was pleased with this response and walked off to get a shower. Slowly, Montaro rose to his feet and shed the clothes he had fallen asleep in before gathering up some relatively clean clothes from his pile.

He quickly got dressed in clothes very similar to what he was accustomed to wearing, dark blue cargo pants that matched the material of his headband, a dark gray muscle shirt that contrasted perfectly with his light gray coat, and finally, dark blue sandals. He tied his headband around his neck before applying tape to his arms and finally tying his hair in its usual, slightly feminine style. He did all of this without acknowledging his lack of shower but decided he was clean enough. He stepped out of his room and rushed down the stairs to await his friend. Yukimura joined him a few minutes later, dressed in his usual black accented with gray outfit, his hair still wet. The two exchange the usual good mornings before leaving their home without breakfast.

They decided not to make this morning into a race and maintained a calm, walking pace as they made their way through the early morning crowds of Konoha's populace. They passed the time with some actually normal conversation, reflecting on days passed and theorizing on how today would pan out. Both were slightly nervous at the thought of being separated into other squads. Though they were confident that they would go far no matter where they were they didn't like the idea of having to rely on complete strangers. Then they both had some fun talking about who they would like to be the third in their squad should they end up together. Yukimura hoped for a skilled and talented shinobi, whereas Montaro approved of a very, very attractive kunoichi.

The two entered the familiar lecture hall laughing and were surprised to see the room already filled with their peers, all eagerly awaiting their assignments. Montaro mumbled something about running while Yukimura only shrugged. The two friends made their way to their usual seat, more than a little surprised to see Naruto in the room as well, a Konoha headband in place on his forehead. Montaro was already preparing a snarky comment when he saw Ina sitting with her two friends, Megumi and prick. He waved enthusiastically, a gesture Ina returning with a slight smile and wave. Megumi smiled as well before turning completely red at the sight of Yukimura and averting her gaze. The prick rolled his eyes and folded his arms, ever eager to live up to his title.

Montaro decided on a change of pace for the day and quickly steered his friend away from their usual spot and to two open seats behind Ina and her band.

"Hiya fellas." He said with a broad smile.

"Hi, Montaro." Ina said, a bit awkwardly. The other three remained silent, Yukimura seeing no point in talking, Megumi too embarrassed to look up, and the prick annoyed beyond reason. Luckily for them all that Iruka arrived before the conversation could take a more awkward turn. He went through a quick speech about how proud he was and that they would have a lot of responsibility before turning his attention to a clipboard in his hands. He quickly ran down the list of names, assigning to students in an order that held some meaning to the instructor that the students weren't aware of.

As he did Ina whispered with her friends as he ran down the list, each of them silenlty hoping to be together. Montaro even noticed Ina and Megumi's fingers were crossed. "Akio Seishitsu!" Iruka's voice called suddenly. Instantly the arrogant prick sat up and listened for his squad. "Aiko Atotori and Daiki Kikario!" Ina and Megumi's hearts sank as Akio cursed loudly at his assignment. Iruka either didn't hear his words or didn't care as he continued down the list. "Tai Ikoji! Kazuo Useki! And Megumi Shinotachi!" Disappointed hardly described the look on Megumi's face while Ina seemed angry enough to go down there and rip their sensei's face off. Iruka, oblivious to this, continued down the list, assigning everyone, including Naruto to a squad.

As he completed the list Akio continued to curse as he saw his two squad mates and immediately decided they were not up to his standards. Megumi had gone back to staring at her desk though it didn't seem to be a result of embarrassment and Ina angrily mumbled to herself. Montaro thought about saying something to calm her down when Iruka suddenly shouted his name. Immediately the young genin tensed up, praying that the next name was... "Yukimura Maeda!" The two friends instantly moved into a high-five at Iruka's words hardly caring about their third team-mate who just happened to be... "Ina Naoe!" Ina's mouth fell open at Iruka's decision as she turned back to her future team-mates, who seemed just as surprised but pleased all the same.

From there Iruka dismissed the students, encouraging them all to meet up with their team-mates and get to know one another. Akio cursed loudly and ran away without a goodbye when he noticed his squad moving towards him. Megumi almost seemed depressed as she said he goodbyes to Ina and moved to join two young shinobi by the door. That left only Montaro, Yukimura, and Ina. The newest squad quickly moved out of the building, sticking together through the crowd and not speaking till they tasted the crisp, afternoon air. Ina had mixed feeling about the assignment. She knew both Yukimura and Montaro were capable but she would much rather have been with her friends. Montaro, on the other hand, was positively giddy.

"Can you believe it, Yukimura? We both got what we wanted!" He shouted triumphantly, Yukimura only nodded slightly while Ina eyed them curiously.

"Oh? And what was that?" She asked, glaring at Montaro.

"Uhm, nothing." The silver-haired shinobi said sheepishly.

"Whatever." Ina said, a trace of annoyance in her voice that Yukimura was quick to address.

"Something wrong?" He asked, as apathetic as ever. Despite the lack of emotion, Ina felt more comfortably talking to him than to his energetic friend.

"I guess not... I just wish I could have been with my friends, you know?" Yukimura nodded knowingly while Montaro took a different approach.

"Come on, we're just as good as them!" He declared, "No offense, but I'm way prettier than Megumi and Yukimura can be just as much of a jerk as the Akio guy." Yukimura laughed slightly and nodded, Ina rolled her eyes but did smile slightly.

"I suppose so but I hardly know the both of you." Again, Yukimura nodded at her reasoning while Montaro refused to accept it.

"Yeah but now that we're in a squad we can hang out all the time. Like a big slumber party!" The silver-haired genin suggested with a nod. Ina rolled her eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of Akio and Megumi slipping out of the academy, constantly looking over their shoulders.

"One sec." Ina said as she turned from her squad and rushed to join her friends. Montaro seemed distraught at the blatant evasion while Yukimura only shrugged.

"Guys?" Ina asked, as she followed her two best friends behind a few bushed. They both seemed prepared to run or snap at the sound of her voice but when they saw it was Ina they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi, Ina." Megumi said, grateful to see her friend again.

"For a second I thought you were those losers." Akio said, no doubt referring to his squad.

"That bad, huh?" Ina asked as her two friends moved back to their feet.

"Worse!" Akio complained, "I got stuck with two complete morons! I swear they hang on my every word and ask for my opinion on anything." Ina took this as an exaggeration, something Akio was well known for but when saw the anger in Megumi's eyes she knew she would tell the truth.

"I'm stuck with two complete perverts!" She shouted, balling her fists. "I swear I couldn't talk to them for a damn second without them ogling my chest!" The young kunoichi took a moment to calm down and catch her breath. "You're lucky Ina, you have Yukimura in your squad.

"Eh? Well, yeah I guess. Yukimura mostly keeps quiet which is good considering Montaro never shuts up. The annoying part is how they make everything into a competition." Ina sighed, thinking of the ramen eating contests and morning races, shuddering to think of what was to come. Megumi saw things differently as she smiled broadly.

"They must be such good friends!" She said, immediately answered by Akio's snort.

"A bunch of damn show-offs if you ask me." He growled, "All eyes HAVE to be on them." Ina grinned devilishly at his tone.

"A bit jealous, are we Akio?" She suggested. Akio was surprised for a moment but quickly regained his usual self-important demeanor.

"Jealous? Of the gray-haired jackass? As if." He said but Ina wouldn't let him duck the subject.

"Meg?" She asked.

"Jealous." The kunoichi supplied immediately.

"There ya go, Megumi never lies." Ina said with a proud smile.

"So I can't call someone an attention grabbing idiot without being jealous of them?" Akio asked, his annoyance adamant in his tone.

"That's how Meg sees it." Ina replied, drawing a confused look from Megumi.

"Wait, what?" She asked, wondering how she got roped into the conversation.

The friends' solitude was shattered when Montaro and Yukimura, having grown impatient with Ina, ran over and joined them.

"Hiya girly! Oh and hi to you too Ina and Megumi." Montaro greeted, obviously unaware of just how angry Akio already was.

"Hey!" Akio shouted, the insult having pushed him over the edge. "You trying to start something, punk?!" Ina and Megumi donned concerned looks while Montaro stared down Akio and Yukimura hid behind a mask of apathy.

"Good sir." Montaro began, his voice level and dead serious. "Are you challenging me to a dance off?" Instantly the other three genin stared at him as though he were insane or idiot, maybe both. Yukimura corrected his friend by whispering in his ear.

"Psst, Montaro. I think he wants to fight you." Montaro's face immediately lit up with understanding.

"Oh, in that case. Ha, ha and tee, hee." He said, obviously not intimidated in the least. Akio gnashed his teeth and took a step toward the confident genin who stood his ground.

"Come on you guys, don't fight!" Ina shouted, trying to move between them but failing. "Megumi! Help me out here!"

"She's right you guys. We only just officially became genin, we shouldn't ruin it by getting into trouble so quick." She said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"C'mon, let 'em fight. A good fight is the best way to get acquainted." Yukimura chimed in. Immediately Megumi's face flushed with color.

"Yukimura's right! Let them fight!" She shouted, instantly changing her mind.

"...Meg?" Ina gave her friend a surprised, almost disappointed look as she tried to hold the two back again and subsequently failed.

"Don't worry, this won't be much of a fight." Akio spat, Montaro was unphased.

"Come on, dude. Give yourself some credit." He replied, finally setting Akio off.

"No! I was talking about... Oh God damn it!" The young genin shouted before charging forward.

It all happened very fast. Akio flew forward and threw a punch. Montaro easily side-stepped the blow and grabbed Akio's wrist. With surprising speed, Montaro drove his knee into Akio's gut and, his grip still on Akio's wrist, rolled over his back. When the silver-haired genin landed, his momentum sent Akio flying overhead and slammed into the ground. With a slight squeeze Montaro released his wrist and turned back to face the spectators. Ina and Megumi both seemed completely shocked by the vent while Yukimura simply smiled and shook his head. Before anyone could talk, Akio moved to his feet and rushed Montaro's back, cursing all along the way. In the next instant, Yukimura was flying through the air and both of his feet were planted in Akio's chest.

"He won, fair and square." Yukimura said, coldly. Akio was on the ground, glaring angrily at both of them as he gasped for breath. "Deal with it and get out of here." For a second Akio seemed intent on trying for another cheap shot but instead simply ran off.

"Wait, Akio!" Ina shouted, starting after her friend. "I can't believe you two!" She shouted back at Yukimura and Montaro before running off after Akio.

"Uhm...uh..." Megumi seemed to have mixed feelings about everything as she looked at Yukimura, her face redder than the setting sun. "Bye!" She eventually shouted before running after her friends.

"What was that about?" Montaro asked, watching the three as they disappeared from view.

"No idea. Kid's a prick?" Yukimura suggested, Montaro shook his head.

"Not that, you rascal. I saw Megumi's face it was redder than a tomato on..." Montaro paused, "Damn, didn't think that analogy through."

"What a pity." Yukimura remarked, Montaro rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He said with a shrug, "Still a lot of daylight to burn. Want to go train?"

"I suppose." Yukimura agreed.

The two friends were quick to leave the academy behind and move to the woods to their usual training spot, eager to get stronger and stronger. They were both orphans, both without a family to love them, both sad and alone. But they had friends they could depend on and that is what mattered.


End file.
